Update: Sarasota Chicken Kitchen aiming for November opening

Update: Chicken Kitchen now expecting Nov. 15 soft opening.

Original post:
Miami-based Chicken Kitchen is expected to open in mid-October and start hiring soon.

Rendering of the Sarasota Chicken Kitchen. Rendering Provided

The Herald reported in April how Gris Bettle and his brother-in-law Justin Mattina of West Bradenton are opening the poultry eatery inside The Market at University Town Center (formerly called University Park Center). The restaurant will be at 5215 University Parkway, beside Tijuana Flats.

Now as construction has moved along, Bettle said Friday that the restaurant is on track to start hiring in late September and hope to open mid-October, right when the Mall at University Town Center is expected to open.

Here is what you can expect from Chicken Kitchen from my April report:

"Chicken Kitchen is known for its hour-long grilling process and aims to give a more personable experience than the cafeteria-line fast food joints. The signature items include Chop-Chop, which is diced chicken dishes that customers can hear the distinct chopping sound while in line, and Wrapitos, which are grilled tortilla wraps.
"We only have all-white meat chicken, and we don't own a microwave or a freezer," said Bettle, a St. Stephen's Episcopal School graduate. "Everything's fresh, and the chicken is all natural, so it's raised antibiotic free."
Plus, the chicken shouldn't be warming in a container, waiting to be ordered.
"The food's coming right off the grill, and in 30 seconds it's right on your plate, and you're eating something that's freshly prepared," Mattina said, adding the experience gives a little bit of theater to dining."

The brothers-in-law said they hoped to tweak the operation and menu offerings a little bit to make the restaurant a better franchise model, something that the restaurant had an issue with through its history of promoting franchise opportunities and little to show for it.

Chicken Kitchen also has started a Facebook page, Facebook.com/chickenkitchencktb, which will encompass other potential Chicken Kitchen locations in Tampa Bay. The two have a five-year plan to open six restaurants in Tampa Bay.

Updated job listings for Mall at University Town Center

With Labor Day weekend here and the Mall at University Town Center opening in just under 50 days, I'm sharing the jobs information again for the mall as the original post is now buried on this blog.

Here's some basic places to search before we reach the comprehensive list I've rounded up below:

CareerSource Suncoast is listing mall jobs at www.jobsutc.com/jobs/. Not all jobs are listed there because it's up to the store to choose to list their jobs on that site.

Some of the stores are posting on Craigslist, but you will have to search for the mall keyword a couple different ways to find all of them. Try "Mall at University Town Center" "University Town Center" "University Parkway" and "Sarasota mall."

Here is a list of all the openings we could find online with links of where to apply:

Mall at UTC staff: Customer Service Manager, Customer Service Rep

Universal Protection Service (Mall at UTC retail security), full-time supervisor and full- and part-time officers

Aldo, various positions, send cover letter and resume to careers@aldogroup.com

Apple, all positions.

American Eagle Outfitters, sales associate and store management. (Search for Sarasota)

Ann Taylor, various positions

Anthropologie, management and supervisors

Art of Shaving, various positions,

Aveda, store management, retail associates,

Auntie Annes, management and staff

Bebe, various positions. Submit resume at https://rn12.ultipro.com/BEB1000B/JobBoard/NewCandidateExt.aspx?Page=Resume

Bose, store manager 

Boston Proper, assistant manager

Brighton Collectibles, assistant manager 

BRIO Tuscan Grille, various positions. (Hiring center to be set up Aug. 25 at Keiser University, 6151 Lake Osprey Drive, Lakewood Ranch.)

Brooks Brothers, tailor, visual coordinator, supervisor

Brow Art 23, open applications

Burger and Beer Joint, general manager, assistant gms, kitchen manager and staff

Cache, various positions, email careers@cache.com

Calypso St. Barth, store manager and assistant manager

Camicissima Milano, various positions

The Capital Grille, various positions

Champs Sports, manager

Cheesecake Factory, all positions

Chico's, various positions

ColdStone Creamery, general manager

Crate & Barrel, all positions

Dillard's, sales associates

Edward Beiner, full-time and part-time sales associates. Can also contact Omar Ruiz, chief operating director at 786-443-9109.

Everything But Water, various positions, email cover letter and resume to hr@everythingbutwater.com

Express, store manager

FastFix, various positions full and part time

Forever21, co-manager

Ghost Armor, retail rep

Godiva, store manager and sales associates

Gymboree, management and store associates

H&M, department manager, department supervisor and visual merchandiser

iAccessorize, repair technician

Invicta, store manager and various positions, email sales@invictawatch.com

J. Crew, store director and associate store manager 

J. Jill, store manager

Jackie Z Style Co., various positions. Send resumes and cover letters to jackie@jackiezstyle.com

Janie and Jack, management and sales associates

Kona Grill, all positions

Le Macaron, retail reps

L'Occitane En Provence, part-time sales associate

Lilly Pulitzer, management

LOFT, co-manager and sales associates

Lovesac, store manager

Lululemon, educator and key leader

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, store manager

MAC, various positions, send resume to

Deborah Brown

Executive Director, Human Resources
M·A·C Cosmetics
130 Prince St, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10012

Macy's, various positions

Mandarin Express, download application

Mayors Jewelers, management and sales (Location listed as Miami)

Moleskine, full-time and part-time sales associates and store manager

PacSun, assistant store manager

Papyrus, sales supervisor

Peter Elliot Blue, sales manager and sales associate

Pottery Barn, various positions seasonal and permanent (can also fill out applications at Southgate Mall store)

Rise Pies, general manager and assistant manager (Update: Hiring fair Sept. 11-12)

Robert Graham, store manager

Seasons 52, all positions

Sephora, various positions (Enter 34243 in search)

Smoothie King, general manager

Solstice Sunglasses, store manager

Soma, various positions

Sophie's at Saks, line cook

Southeastern Guide Dogs, retail key holder

Starbucks, Macy's is hiring for a Starbucks inside its store. Barista positions for the kiosk at the center court of the mall can be found here. 

Stuart Weitzman, sales associate

Sunglass Hut, sales associate

Swarovski, store manager

TINA Stephens, store manager

Tommy Bahama, store manager (When performing new search, select retail division then location for UTC jobs to appear.)

Tumi, sales associates, store manager

Vera Bradley, various positions

Victoria Secret, various positions full and part time

The Walking Company, all positions; can also send resume and salary history to careers@thewalkingcompany.com, ATTN: Human Resources

Williams-Sonoma, various positions seasonal and permanent (can also fill out applications at Southgate mall location)

Yo! Sushi, head chef, sous chef, assistant general manager

Z Gallerie, e-mail inquires to careers@zgalleries.com ATTN: Human Resources

Zales Jewelers, jewelry consultant

Buffalo Wings & Rings plans Bradenton expansion

Cincinnati-based Buffalo Wings & Rings is looking to expand to Bradenton within the next two years, a spokeswoman told the Herald.

No location has been announced yet.

The sports restaurant, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, offers wings, burgers, gyros and more and operates 55 restaurants including locations in Port Charlotte and North Port.

The company expects to add two restaurants in the next two years, creating 120 jobs here, according to the spokesman. The Port Charlotte location, operated by Brian Bourlier, opened Aug. 2.

The Herald reported earlier this week that another Cincinnati chain, Tom+Chee, is close to signing a deal to open a location in the Bradenton-Sarasota market.

Learn more about the restaurant and its expansion plans next week in The Bradenton Herald.

For more information, visit www.buffalowingsandrings.com.

Tim Hortons could be an easy sell in Florida thanks to Canadian tourists, Burger King

If Burger King can structure its company right, the Miami-based fast food chain could lead to a whopper of a Tim Hortons expansion in Florida.

Burger King confirmed Tuesday that it is making a pitch to buy Canada's Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop for $11 billion to leverage the brand's coffee and breakfast market. It's probably best because did anyone really think that burgers for breakfast was going to work?

I've always thought that Tim Hortons would be a genius move for a business in Florida despite having to slug it out with Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks, especially here in the Bradenton area.

In the last year, Manatee and Sarasota counties combined attracted about 100,000 Canadian tourists. That's just some of the 3.7 million Canadians who visited Florida. Have you not seen how many Ontario license plates roam these roads during winter? Sometimes I felt like I had to check to make sure I wasn't being tricked into thinking that I lived in the southernmost province of the Great White North.

Plus, we have a good chunk of Canadian transplants who now live here year-round. I remember first meeting Schroeder-Manatee Ranch's Todd Pokrywa last year and we struck up a brief chat about the love of Tim Hortons, or Timmy's. The Canadian native had his stash of Tim Hortons coffee in his office for a Cup of Joe that reminds him of home.

It might mean a gift basket from relatives up north or ordering online for some to get Tim Horton. The U.S. locations are predominately in the Great Lakes region stretching from Michigan to New York. For now, if you want to get a fix of Tim Hortons, you'll have to go to the Tampa Bay Times Forum and BB&T Center where a small stand sells only coffee. Sorry, no Timbits or sandwiches there.

These folks would surely line up for a box of Timbits while hoping the butter tarts are added back to the menu.

There are foodies out there who would ask why have another chain restaurant given the area's bevy of good independent restaurants, some of those being fast food. That foodtopia is never going to arrive. Vacationers often crave the familiar and affordable.

Tim Hortons made a concerted push this past year to get more American franchisees, airing prime-time ads during the National Hockey League's outdoor games earlier this year. So, they're trying. It's going to take a franchisee signing for multiple locations to make it work, and that means a lot of capital. That's where Burger King's executives could help their Tim Hortons counterparts in navigating site selection and Florida regulations as well as connecting with investors and existing Burger King franchisees looking for something new.

You'd think someone would hit up one of the retired NHLers and coaches living part time in the area including Scotty Bowman, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt or Bobby Clarke who might have a warm place in their hearts for Tim Hortons. But really, I'd ask Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett.

Why him? Bennett once operated Dunkin' Donuts franchises and he co-owns the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. The ice rink has a vacancy where restaurants have come and gone, the latest being a steakhouse. Bennett would like a national chain to go in there, and why not Tim Hortons? There's a fixed, dedicated audience because hockey demographics easily cross with Tim Hortons. If the space is too big, stick an urgent care in there to handle all the bumps and bruises from the ice rink, and that space would be humming.

I'd ask Mike what he would think of this, but he was tied up at the Primary Election on Tuesday looking to count votes instead of coffee beans.

Even if he doesn't go with it, I wonder if the model Timmy's uses in America's snowiest city would work here, where the coffee shop partners in the same space with ColdStone Creamery -- like Dunkin' puts a Baskin Robins in its store.

I'm rooting for the brand in Florida because it brings back some good memories of when I played travel hockey in high school and we had a chance to stop off and try a Tim Hortons. We didn't have any in Maryland. I was impressed with the clean layout and how breakfast entrees would be served with a glass plate and silverware.

I don't think I ended up trying a Tim Hortons doughnut until I interned at the Erie Times-News in 2006. At the time, Timmy's flooded the market in Erie, Pa., and there seemed to be one on every corner. Somebody brought them into work one day and I wasn't impressed at first. But then I tried it again and there's something about them that makes them worthwhile. Maybe it's the special lard, I don't know.

If Timmy's ever comes to Florida, it won't have a problem finding a familiar audience.

Taubman's technology allows Mall at UTC to be a 'smart mall'

Macy's at the Mall at University Town Center

When Taubman Centers opens the Mall at University Town Center, technology will be at the forefront of the shopping and business experience.

The company's chief technology officer Michael Osment shared in a column for research company Realcomm Conference Group that the Mall at UTC will be one of the company's "smart malls."

Shoppers will have touchscreen directories in the mall that give GPS-like directions on how to get to a store from your current location in the mall, Osment wrote:

"The value of this approach has already been demonstrated as we prepare to open the new Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, Fla. A big advantage is the ability to postpone technology decisions until late in the development cycle. This allowed time to make a firm decision for the digital directory approach until the technology matured; we will be able to incorporate state of the art touchscreen directories with built in way-finding for shoppers rather than settling for what was available when the development began almost three years ago. Think of this as being like your GPS: you put in your destination and it shows you the route from your location on a map. Having the Smart Mall infrastructure already in the plans made postponement of the technology decision possible without adding risk to the overall project."

The mall, which opens Oct. 16, will also provide free basic Internet for tenants, free WiFi for customers and Taubman officials previously announced that they were working on a way for customers to call ahead or maybe even use an app to have their valet car ready before customers head to the exit.

Osment also added that Taubman is testing more ways to use location-based technology along with low energy Bluetooth, or Bluetooth LE and Bluetooth Smart, to add to the shopping experience.

Computer manufacturer Dell wrote about what Bluetooth LE could mean for retail in a post earlier this year, saying that the technology could alert shoppers of a sale on umbrellas if it's raining outside, or pull up your order or request as soon as you approach the store. Companies like American Eagle Outfitters and Macy's -- both which will be in the new mall -- are rolling out Bluetooth Smart beacons in stores, Dell's Nick Clunn added.

Whether shoppers will use and trust the technology and security remains to be seen.

Apple Store hiring for geniuses, more for Mall at University Town Center

Sarasota now on a list of job opportunities on Apple.com

For those wanting to get a jump on job seekers for the new Apple Store in the Mall at University Town Center, apply now.

Apple has officially recognized its new store in Sarasota on its website, placing Sarasota on a list of job opportunities now available among other cities that are getting Apple stores.

Apple has also placed an ad on CareerBuilder.com hiring for all positions this past week.

The jobs up for grabs at Apple include:

• Sales specialist
• Expert (customer service and sales lead)
• Business specialist (business customer service and sales lead)
• Business manager (district sales)
• Service specialist (retail customer service)
• Creative (customer training and support)
• Genius (retail technical support)

Applicants can either apply on CareerBuilder or on Apple's website. Apple's website doesn't have positions drilled down to Sarasota yet, so applicants should apply to the postings that say "various locations."

Benefits at Apple's retail locations include health coverage, 401(k), buy company stock and product discounts. For one take on what it's like to work at an Apple store, the New York Times wrote an extensive piece in 2012. That same year, Apple gave retail employees raises. One part-time employee didn't like the varied work schedule in another Times piece last month, but liked the health benefits. (As someone who has worked in retail, varied schedules are the way of life unless you've been with a company for a long time or are a manager.)

Apple is bringing a 7,000-square-foot store on the first level of the mall across from Saks Fifth Avenue. The store will open along with the rest of the 880,000-square-foot, two-level mall on Oct. 16 off the corner of Cattlemen Road and University Parkway.

For the rest of jobs available at the Mall at UTC, read this post on the Up In Your Business blog.

Mall at University Town Center launches Facebook fan page

Mall at UTC advertising its grand opening on Facebook.
Photo provided

The Mall at University Town Center is updating its official Facebook fan page as the shopping center has less than two months to go before its opening.

The page, Facebook.com/MallatUTC, was created in April, but started posting updates this past week. The biggest of course, is a Facebook event invite for the grand opening party. The mall is expected to open Oct. 16, but the festivities are advertised to last through the weekend until Oct. 19.

The invite advertises live entertainment and special activities during the grand opening weekend, but no additional details yet. The mall is hosting a media preview night Oct. 15 where people who bought tickets to the event from non-profits will be able to shop that night as well and on Oct. 16, there might be a small opening ceremony, but don't expect it to last long as the doors will fling open quickly at 10 a.m.

Taubman Centers used to have celebrities show up and make a grand spectacle for its mall openings, but a former spokesperson for the company said the mall operator realized that enough people come out simply for the stores.

I've seen the lights on (Saks) Fifth Avenue

While the Mall at University Town Center is still much of a construction zone, at least part of it has turned into some nice drive-by entertainment.

Saks Fifth Avenue's building will have a nighttime glow and light show as its building is projected with white, yellow and blue hues. I drove by the site Sunday night and captured it in the video below:

It's a much better sight in person, and the light show won't be relegated to Saks Fifth Avenue. The rest of the mall is expected to have blueish-purple lights beaming through its louvered-glass ceiling.

The flagship store in New York City is known to have 3D Christmas light shows on the exterior of its store. I'd have to wonder if that would be possible here, too.

The lighting, design and glass treatment for the Mall at UTC suddenly makes the area seem much more cosmopolitan.

The mall, and Saks, is expected to open Oct. 16.

Real estate blog says Bradenton is sexy and knows it

The Peek-A-Boo Lounge on 14th Street West helped
give Bradenton a No. 5 ranking for adult entertainment
per capita in a Movoto ranking for sexiest city.
File Photo by Paul Videla

Bradenton and Sarasota are two of the sexiest cities in the country, according to real estate blog Movoto.

Sarasota took top spot, Bradenton is third while Pensacola was No. 2 because it has the most lingerie stores per capita in the nation, according to the blog. Movoto is known for creating quirky real estate trend stories and rankings.

Looking at the qualifications for the ranking, kinky would be a more appropriate descriptor.

Here is what gets Bradenton and Sarasota their dirty distinctions, Movoto says:

First, we made a list of small cities with populations between 50,000 and 60,000, which gave us 140 places. Then, we collected data from the U.S. Census (2010) and business listings in seven sexy criteria:
Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
Lingerie stores per capita
Adult stores per capita (novelties, videos, etc.)
Adult entertainment per capita (strip clubs, burlesque, use your imagination…)
Massage parlors per capita (hey, it can be a sensual experience)
Hotels per capita
Average summer temperature (hotter means fewer clothes *wink*)After that, we ranked each place in each category from one to 140, with numbers closer to one being sexier. Then, we averaged each places’ rankings into one Big Deal Score, with lower scores being better.

Incidents like having sex in public parking lots in Lakewood Ranch were not included either.

Considering those qualifiers, the ranking might not be a surprise given the number of questionable spas and massage parlors that line Tamiami Trail from the airport into the city and the cluster of adult novelty stores around the DeSoto Square Mall. Yet, surprisingly, Bradenton ranked lower for massage parlors compared to other cities, the blog said.

Bradenton's store was helped by being ranked No. 5 for nightlife options, bolstered by a sudden boom in craft breweries.  Bradenton also earned No. 5 for hotels per capita, which is a needed  and given the romantic views along the Riverwalk and so many hotels to serve Anna Maria Island.

Check out the difference between Bradenton and its southern neighbor from Movoto:

I'm actually surprised how low the massage rank is for Bradenton compared to Sarasota and wonder if Tamiami Trail's parlors might have influenced the rankings. Depending who you ask, some folks consider the 34243 ZIP code Sarasota. That area runs from the county line north to just past the Bearded Clam Tiki Bar where spas and parlors proliferate.

Sarasota also ranked higher for adult stores and lingerie stores per capita, too. Would anyone agree? Some folks in Bradenton would joke that Sarasota considers some of these businesses as "culture."

In either case, congratulations Bradenton and Sarasota. Shake what your momma gave you.

How to apply for Mall at University Town Center jobs (updated)

Finding a job at the Mall at University Town Center is now a little easier.

CareerSource Suncoast has launched its portal at careersourcesuncoast.com/utcjobs.php that links to application and job information for the new mall. (Update: The website has been redesigned and relaunched at www.jobsutc.com/jobs/. Either link works)

The Herald was the first to report in July about the creation of the jobs site and the challenges the agency has finding the openings. The mall is expected to create 2,000 full- and part-time jobs.

The site lists openings so far at Ann Taylor, Dillard's, Janie & Jack, Loft, Gymboree, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma.

Employers at the mall must visit www.employflorida.com to register in order for job openings to appear on the CareerSource website. Employers should list University Town Center Drive as the location of the work site address to show up on the dedicated website.

Another big chance to land a seasonal job will come Saturday as Crate & Barrel will host a job fair for seasonal sales and merchandising associates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hampton Inn and Suites, 8565 Cooper Creek Blvd. Applicants should download an application from Crate & Barrel's website and complete it before coming to the job fair. For permanent positions, Crate & Barrel is directing applicants to its website for all openings.

For Macy's, the company announced that it will offer jobs first to employees at the DeSoto Square mall location as the store will close in favor of the Mall at UTC location. However, Macy's is still advertising for positions at the new mall.


Here is a list of all the openings we could find online with links of where to apply:


Mall at UTC staff: Customer Service Manager, Customer Service Rep

Universal Protection Service (Mall at UTC retail security), full-time supervisor and full- and part-time officers

Aldo, various positions, send cover letter and resume to careers@aldogroup.com

Apple, all positions.

American Eagle Outfitters, sales associate and store management. (Search for Sarasota)

Ann Taylor, various positions

Anthropologie, management and supervisors

Art of Shaving, various positions,

Aveda, store management, retail associates,

Auntie Annes, management and staff

Bebe, various positions. Submit resume at https://rn12.ultipro.com/BEB1000B/JobBoard/NewCandidateExt.aspx?Page=Resume



Bose, store manager


Boston Proper, assistant manager

Brighton Collectibles, assistant manager


BRIO Tuscan Grille, various positions. (Hiring center to be set up Aug. 25 at Keiser University, 6151 Lake Osprey Drive, Lakewood Ranch.)

Brooks Brothers, tailor, visual coordinator, supervisor

Brow Art 23, open applications

Burger and Beer Joint, general manager, assistant gms, kitchen manager and staff

Cache, various positions, email careers@cache.com


Calypso St. Barth, store manager and assistant manager


Camicissima Milano, various positions

The Capital Grille, various positions

Champs Sports, manager


Cheesecake Factory, all positions

Chico's, various positions

ColdStone Creamery, general manager

Crate & Barrel, all positions

Dillard's, sales associates

Edward Beiner, full-time and part-time sales associates. Can also contact Omar Ruiz, chief operating director at 786-443-9109.


Everything But Water, various positions, email cover letter and resume to hr@everythingbutwater.com


Express, store manager

FastFix, various positions full and part time

Forever21, co-manager

Ghost Armor, retail rep

Godiva, store manager and sales associates

Gymboree, management and store associates

H&M, department manager, department supervisor and visual merchandiser

iAccessorize, repair technician

Invicta, store manager and various positions, email sales@invictawatch.com



J. Crew, store director and associate store manager


J. Jill, store manager


Jackie Z Style Co., various positions. Send resumes and cover letters to jackie@jackiezstyle.com

Janie and Jack, management and sales associates

Kona Grill, all positions

Le Macaron, retail reps

L'Occitane En Provence, part-time sales associate


Lilly Pulitzer, management

LOFT, co-manager and sales associates

Lovesac, store manager

Lululemon, educator and key leader

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, store manager

MAC, various positions, send resume to
Deborah Brown
Executive Director, Human Resources
M·A·C Cosmetics
130 Prince St, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10012


Macy's, various positions

Mandarin Express, download application

Mayors Jewelers, management and sales (Location listed as Miami)

Moleskine, full-time and part-time sales associates and store manager

PacSun, assistant store manager


Papyrus, sales supervisor

Peter Elliot Blue, sales manager and sales associate

Pottery Barn, various positions seasonal and permanent (can also fill out applications at Southgate Mall store)

Rise Pies, general manager and assistant manager (Update: Hiring fair Sept. 11-12)

Robert Graham, store manager

Seasons 52, all positions


Sephora, various positions (Enter 34243 in search)

Smoothie King, general manager

Solstice Sunglasses, store manager

Soma, various positions

Sophie's at Saks, line cook

Southeastern Guide Dogs, retail key holder

Starbucks, Macy's is hiring for a Starbucks inside its store. Barista positions for the kiosk at the center court of the mall can be found here.


Stuart Weitzman, sales associate

Swarovski, store manager

TINA Stephens, store manager

Tommy Bahama, store manager (When performing new search, select retail division then location for UTC jobs to appear.)

Tumi, sales associates, store manager

Vera Bradley, various positions

Victoria Secret, various positions full and part time

The Walking Company, all positions; can also send resume and salary history to careers@thewalkingcompany.com, ATTN: Human Resources

Williams-Sonoma, various positions seasonal and permanent (can also fill out applications at Southgate mall location)

Yo! Sushi, head chef, sous chef, assistant general manager

Z Gallerie, e-mail inquires to careers@zgalleries.com ATTN: Human Resources

Zales Jewelers, jewelry consultant

Read more here: http://bradenton-herald-business.blogspot.com/#storylink=cpy

Jon Stewart pokes fun at Manatee County drug maker, corruption trial

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

Political news junkies are probably aware of the scintillating corruption trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen McDonnell.

The trial entered the bigger pop culture arena Thursday night when Jon Stewart devoted the first eight minutes of The Daily Show to the trial, and notably about the product of a Manatee County drug company.

Even those who follow the trial might not be aware that the company and the man once in charge of it, Jonnie Williams, has strong ties to Manatee and Sarasota counties. So before we get to the funny, we need a quick history lesson.

The trial coverage makes frequent mention of the drug company Star Scientific and its Anatabloc drug that was being hawked for some attention and favors from the governor. What was supposed to be a nutritional supplement was being privately pitched as a wonder drug that might have benefits for inflammatory diseases like Alzheimer's. 

After the company dumped Jonnie Williams in December, right around the timing of the indictment against the McDonnells, Star Scientific made a series of moves that included renaming itself Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals and moved from Virginia to the Roskamp Institute in Tallevast here in southern Manatee County. The man in charge of Roskamp research, Dr. Michael Mullan, would then oversee Rock Creek. Williams is still an adviser to the company getting $1 a month until the company becomes profitable. Williams was testifying as a witness with partial immunity. 

Williams himself keeps the company for his private jet based at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, which was loaned to the McDonnells.  He also has a beautiful, large compound on Bay Shore Road in Sarasota's Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores neighborhood, a condo near IMG Academy and his Star Tobacco, which preceded Star Scientific, was based in Sarasota.

So, on Thursday's episode Stewart sought to recap the insane details of love triangles and favors in a segment, "The Giving Spree." 

Watch the video here:

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

"That's right, Virginia is for lovers...for money," Stewart said as he placed his Dr. Evil pinky to his mouth. "But you know cold hard cash can't hold you at night and a blank check can't wipe away your tears."

He tackled the drug, Anatabloc, asking how do you make a wonder drug out of tobacco, filled with "wonder carcinogens."

"You're going to kick yourself for not thinking of this first. He nuked the tobacco in 200 Walmart microwaves," he said. "Tired of feeling bad? Try some of our highly irradiated cigarette pills.

"Apparently when you put two terrible things together it makes something great. Gonorrhea is terrible, but when you mix it in a Crock-Pot of dog vomit, it's transformed into a healthy part of any child's breakfast."

He later asks if there's anything weirder for this quid-pro-quo. Oh yeah. At an event where McDonnell was endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president, Maureen McDonell told Ann Romney, according to the indictment, that the drug could cure her multiple sclerosis. 

"How do those two live with themselves?" Stewart asked. "I guess it's easy thanks to: Forgetulex. From the makers of Anatabloc. The herbal supplement guaranteed to wipe out the memory the time you trivialized a woman's debilitating, incurable disease so that a whacked-out supplement huckster would buy you a watch. Foregetulex: It's made up of crushed-up heroin needles and bed bugs."

Well, the watch part is real. Earlier during the trial, the jurors got to handle a $6,000 Rolex bought for McDonnell as part of the $165,000 in gifts the former governor and first lady were showered with.

Next, he moved onto the supposed love triangle where Williams said he didn't know Maureen McDonnell was interested in him despite texts like "I felt the earth move and I wasn't having sex!"

"How did he not pick up on the signals? Maybe because he's a crazy-eyed inventor, got his head filled with so many ideas, doesn't know when the ladies are trying to hit him up," Stewart offered before impersonating Williams. "I didn't know you liked me. I was just thinking if I put my farts in a George Foreman grill, maybe I can cure lupus. I don't know! I'm an inventor!"

"Please don't try doing that at home," he said.

The trial is ongoing and will only provide more fodder for Stewart and company.

Mall at UTC Cheesecake Factory now hiring for all positions

The Cheesecake Factory is now hiring for general positions, in an effort to get most of its staff in line.

The mega menu and dessert specialist is hiring for the following positions at the Mall at University Town Center:

• Dessert/ espresso makers (up to $13 per hour)
• Line cooks (earn up to $14 per hour)
• Prep cooks (earn up to $13 per hour)
• Bussers (earn up to $500 per week)
• Bartenders (earn up to $900 per week)
• Servers (earn up to $700 per week)
• Host (no salary given)
• Steward (no salary given)
• Dishwasher (no salary given)

The steward position is described as someone who orders the food inventory and communicates with vendors.

Positions available are both full time and part time.

To search for available positions, visit http://ww3.cakecareers.com/jobs/search.

The 7,983-square-foot restaurant will features a 1,239-square-foot patio and is expected to open on the mall's first day, Oct. 16. The mall is expected to create 2,000 jobs for the area.

DeSoto Square Macy's moving sale starts with up to 50 percent off

Macy's is closing at the DeSoto Square mall.
File Photo by Grant Jefferies

The DeSoto Square Macy's started its moving sale Monday with some good deals.

The store is trying to sell off as much merchandise as possible before the new Macy's opens at the Mall at University Town Center on Oct. 16. Macy's expects the DeSoto store to close sometime in late September, but the closing date could reach into early October.

During a visit to the store Tuesday, items ranged from 30 to 50 percent off the lowest ticketed price. That means if shoppers rummage through the existing clearance racks, they will find a great deal. But there are no red flags directing shoppers to the old clearance racks, so good luck finding the clearance racks.

Most items were marked for 30 percent off the lowest ticketed price including clothing, cosmetics, handbags and small appliances.

Mattresses and down comforters were marked 50 percent off. The bedding area is a little tricky because the cotton comforters are 40 percent off and bedding is 40 percent off while those other categories had higher markdowns.

China, flatware, luggage and table linens were some of the other items marked 40 percent off.

Expect merchandise to move quick regardless of the markdown. Employees were already packing up the sunglasses and the sunglass case Tuesday afternoon, to ship out all the shades.

Signs also told shoppers that all sales are final and if items were purchased before the sale began Monday, they can be returned at any Macy's until Sept. 6.

Sara Soda Drive-In at former Sonic closes

File photo by Tiffany Tompkis-Condie

The former Sonic building in Bayshore Gardens isn't working out for new businesses.

Sara Soda Drive-In, 6008 14th St. W, closed recently after just more than a month in business. The owner of Sara Soda was a manager of Sax Burgers & Sandwiches, which opened there in February. The owners of Sax moved here from Hendersonville, Tenn., after buying the rights to the Sax name from a restaurant they worked for there.

The manager of Sara Soda told the Herald in June he wasn't sure why the Sax concept didn't work, but relaunched with a few changes and a new name.

A few issues  that could have led to the businesses demise were noticeable. The building lacked a drive-thru, which Sonic even figured out that it needed in its new buildings despite the car hop concept. Neither Sax or Sara Soda were able to take advantage of a full tourism season before hitting the summer, and they weren't open on Sundays either. The menus were cluttered and hard to read, too, and when Sara Soda removed pictures of food on the menu, it eliminated a staple of fast-food menu design done to speed up orders.

Prices dropped at Sara Soda, too, and that could have eliminated profit margins if the volume wasn't there. At one time the Angus burgers were going for $2.

Sonic Drive-In closed there in 2010 with about a dozen other Tampa Bay locations when Mississippi-based franchisee Boyz-N-Burgers LLC defaulted on $37 million in loans.

Sax had signed a lease in November for the outparcel in the Bayshore Gardens Shopping Center from Benderson Development for five years, according to a lease filed with the Manatee County Clerk.